Door or gate latch.



J. H. CLARK. DOOR OR GATE LATCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 2, 1915.

1,165,493. Patented Dec. 28', 1915.

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LULUMBIA PLANouIAPM 00-.WA3MINGTON D c J. H. CLARK.

DOOR 0R GATE LATCH.

APPLICAHON FILED SEPT-2, 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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a J y i m C TM? awn/J JAMES CLARK, OF QORYIDON, IOWA.

noon on earn LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Desi 28,

Application filed September 2, 1915. Seria1No. 48,696.

citizen of the United States, residing at Corydon, in the county of Wayne and State of Iowa, have invented certam new and useful Improvements n Door or Gate Latches;

and I do declare the followingitobe a full,

clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

This invention'relates to new and useful improvements in latches, and more particu larlyto latches for use on sliding or swinging doors andgates, and the, primary object ofthe invention is to provide ajlatch which embodies a fulcrumed lever, a stationary guide, and a latch link pivotally connected with the lever and adapted to slide and swing through the said guide whereby a quick, simple, and very eificient latch is formed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple and durable in'construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and one which will be very el'licient in operation.

lVith these and numerous'other objects in view, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter referred to and Vmore particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved latch showing it applied to use; Fig. 2 is a hori zontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the top, showing my improved latch adapted to hold the door when in open position'; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of'a slightly modified form of my improved latch showing the same in locked position; Fig. 6 is a side elevation showingthe latch in unlocked position; Figs. 7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken onthe lines 77 and 88 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 5.

In des :ibing my invention, 1 shall refer to the accompanying drawings in. which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in whichthe numeral 1 designates a doorlto which my improved latchmay be applied, which is hinged to a frame 2 by hinges 3, This frame 2 which surrounds the door is provided with a keeper 4 which is formed of a single piece of metal bent to form an eye'5 at one end, and the other portion being bent semi-circular as shown at 6 and terminating in a spur 7 which is adapted to be driven into the frame. This form shown in the accompanying drawings is merely one form of door to which the latch may be applied, as the same may be applied to any form of swinging door, or sliding doors or gates, without any reference to the particular form of gate or door employed.

Secured to the door 1 is a horizontally extending flat metal strip 8 which has one end 9 bent laterally and projecting from the said door, and having an aperture 10 therethrough. The end of this strip which is bent up is nearest the side of the door, and said bent end is adapted to form a guide for the latch as will be hereinafter moreiully described, Adjacent the opposite end of the member 8 is an aperture 11 which alines with an opening through the gate 1', an'd' 'a circular hollowshaft'l2 is adapted to be positioned in the opening in said door, and projects therethrough at either end as shown at 13. An aperture 1 extends transversely through the projecting ends 13 of the shaft to receive the operating lever of this latch as will be hereinafter more fully described.

T he link latch of this device which is designated by the numeral 15 consists of a rod having one end bent downwardl as shown at 16 to' form a hook which is adapted to engage the keeper t when the latch is in locked position, and the other end of the said link latch is bent to form a circular loop 17. The lower end of the hook 16 of the link latch 15 is apertured as shown at 18 the door to securely sealthe same, may be placed therethrough, as'clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The operating lever of this latch which is designated by the numeral 19 comprises a rod having one end bent laterally as shown at 20 and projecting through the circular loop 17 which is formed in therear end of the link latch 15. The extremity of the lateral projection 20 on the end of the lever 19 is apertured to receive a cotter pin 21 which prevents the end 20 from sli ping from the circular loop 17 when the parts are connected. This forms a pivotal connection between the front end of the operating lever 19 and the rear end of the link latch 15 of this device.

The operating lever 19 extends rearwardly through the transversely extending aperture 14: in the projecting end 13 of the hollow shaft12 which extends through the door,

and the said lever has its free end bent back. upon itself as shownat 22 and spaced therei from in parallel relation, to form an elongated loop handle for the said lever. The

extremity 23 of the said handle is bent inwardly and is adapted ,tofirmly fit into the open projecting end 13 of the shaft 12.

l/Vhen in this position, it is obvious that the operating lever 19 will be held firmly and securely through the rotatable shaft which extends-through the door at a point interme diate of its ends, and a handle 22 will be formed on one of its ends, While the other will be pivotally connected with the rear end of the latch link15. The opposite end of the hollow shaft 12 which projects through the door 1 has formed thereon an elongated handle loop 2 f which is formed substantially the same as the handle loop 2:2

on the lever 19 to which the link latch 15 is attached. This handle 24 on the opposite side of the door projects radially in the Y opposite direction from the rotatable shaft 12 the purpose of which is obvious, and

it will bereadily seen that by the provision of this shaft with the handle at each of its projecting ends, thislatch may be oper- H ated from either side ofthe gate or door.

l/Vhen'th e parts of this device are assen1- bled as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, which shows the latch in locked position, to release the same it is only necessary to grasp the'elongated loop handle 22 at the free end of the operating lever 19 and move the same upwardly. This, on account of the pivotal connection between the opposite end of the lever and the rear end of the link l'atclnwill draw the rear end of thelink latch downwardly and inwardly, thereby .erative position, downward to horizontal alinementwith the link latch 15, whereby the hooked end of the same will be brought into engagement with the keeper 4: on the frame of the door to securely latch the said door; v a

One of the essential features of this device is the projecting apertured end 9 on the horizontally extending metal strip 8, which forms a guide so that the link latch 15is adapted to slide and swing therethrough upon movement of the lever. The aperture 10 in the'said' projecting end is of sulficient size to allow a free and easy move ment of the shank of said link latch therethrough so that upon the slightest movement of the lever, the samewill' freely slide or swing through the same; rinother'essential feature of my nvention is the provisionof theparticular form of lever which by this formation forms at one end an integral elongated loop-shaped handle; This handle and-the Way itis' secured to the transversely jextending shaft 1 that rotates in the doorforms a novel and 7 very efficient operating lever fora device of this character. 3 1

In Figs. 5 to 9 lIlOlLlSlVB'lS shown a slightly modified form of my invention, a tached to a door 25 1which'1s hinged to a frame 26 by means of any ordinary form of hinges This door'frame and hinges is substantially the sameas that-type to which the other form of my nvention is applied,

and corresponds to the same. 7 The frame 26' which surrounds the door is provided with a keeper 28. This keeperQS comprises a; plate 29 secured firmly to the said frame, a-ndhaving projecting therefrom a horizontally disposed 'stapleSO and a pairiof verti cally disposed staples 81 and '32 disposed beneath the horizontally disposed staple, andpos' tioned 1n parallel spaced relation to one another. The horizontally disposed staple 30 is adapted to receive the hook of the latch link, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The object of the parallel vertical staples31 and 32 is sothat when the latch. is in locked position and it isdesired to permanentlylcck the same,a padlock 33 may be positioned therethrough, was to accomplish the aforesaid purpose in the 'manner clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. If desired, a seal may bepositioned therethrough in place of the padlock.

My improved form of modified latch comprises a. base plate 3 which in this instance is shown as being substantially oval-shape and firmly and securely held-into engagement with the door by means of any desired form of fasteners for instance as shown at 35. This base plate 34: has projecting outwardly from a point adjacent one end of the same,a headed bolt '36 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The link latch'37 of this modified formcomprisesa fiat elongated strip having a longitudinally extending slot 38 disposed therethrough,

which is adapted to receive the bolt 36 of the base plate 34:, and has a -slidabl'e and swingmg engagement therewith. The outer end of the-link latch ST'has, projecting clownwardly therefrom at right angles to the same a' hook 39 having adjacent its outer end an elongated slot 40 the purpose of.

which is obvious. Fulcrumedto apoint adjacent the opposite end of the base plate 34:

is a lever all which is pivotally mounted.

with respect thereto as shown at 42. This lever 41 has its rear end enlarged as shown at -13 so that the same may be easily grasped when it is desired to operate this latch. The forward end of the lever ll is pivotally engaged with the rear end of the link latch 37 as designated by the numeral 44. l/Vhen the parts of this modification are in position as above described, the operation of the same is substantially the same as the operationof the previously described preferred form of latch. It is only necessary to move the lever 41 upwardly, when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings to cause the link latch'37 to move rearwardly and downwardly, thereby lifting the hook 39 from out of engagement with the keeper 28. This movement of the link latch 37 is caused by the slotted engagement of the same with construction of my improved latch, the manner of applying the same to use, and the operation thereof will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive, and efficient means for carrying out the objects of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A latch of the character described comprising a stationary guide, a link latch adapted for sliding and swinging engagement with said guide, a hook on the forward end of said latch, and a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends pivotally connected at one end with the rear end of said latch, whereby when the lever and link are in horizontal alinement the hook on the latch will be positioned in a keeper.

2. A latch of the character described comprising a stationary horizontally extending metal strip having a laterally projecting apertnred end, a link latch projecting through the aperture in said guide and adapted to slide and swing through the same, a hook on the forward end of said latch, and a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends pivotally connected at one end to the rear end of said latch, whereby when the lever and link are moved into horizontal alinement, the hook on the latch will b positioned in the keeper. 3. A latch of the character described comprising a stationary horizontally extending metal strip having a laterally projecting apertured end. a link projecting through the aperture in said guide and adapted to slide and swing throu h the same, the forward end of said latch being bent downwardly to form a hook, a loop formed at the rear end of the same, a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends and pivotally connected at one end to the rear end of said latch, and a handle formed on the other end of said lever.

a. A. latch of the character described comprising a stationary horizontally extending metal strip having a laterally projecting apertured end, a link projecting through the aperture in said guide and adapted to slide and swing through the same, the forward end of said latch being bent downwardly to form a hook, said hook having an aperture adjacent its lower end, a loop formed at the rear end of said latch, a shaft rotatably mounted on one end in the guide and having an aperture therethrough, a lever positioned through the aperture in said bolt and securely held therein intermediate its ends, said lever being laterally bent at one end to pivotally engage the loop in the rear of the latch, and the free end of the lever being bent upon itself to form an elongated loop handle.

5'. The combination with a. door, a rotatable shaft having a transverse opening therethrough, a rod extending through said opening and having one end bent upon itself to form an elongated loop, and the other end of said rodconnected with the latch member.

6. The combination with a door, a shaft rotatably mounted thereon, projecting laterally therefrom, the projecting end of said shaft-being hollow and having a transverse opening therethrough, a rod extending through said opening and having one end bent upon itself and the extremity thereof positioned in the open end of the shaft, and the other end of said rod pivotally connected with a latch member.

7 A. latch of the character described comprising a stationary guide, a link latch adapted for sliding and swinging engage ment with said guide, a hook on the forward end of saidlatch, a keeper comprising a horizontally disposed hook receiving staple and a pair of parallel vertically disposed staples disposed below the same, and a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends pivotally connected at one end with the rear end of said latch, whereby when the lever and link arein horizontal alinement the hook on the latch will be positioned in the keeper.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

Geo. E. FERREN, ULYssEs G. RIoKnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

